27 Jun 2025
| Q & A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-8 |
| 9-12 | 13-20 | 21-26 | 27-31 |
| 32-36 | 37-39 | 40-47 | |
QA:32-36
(Some of my friends, who are atheists, have asked these questions on sweet devotion and related topics. I have sent those questions to H.H. Shri Datta Swami, who has answered these questions. - Ms. Thrylokya)
32. Will Radha be upset by seeing the forms of Her husband satisfying thousands of His wives?
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Due to permanently imposed ignorance, the knowledge given by God Krishna cannot stand in Radha for long time. Throughout her life, will Radha not feel upset again and again by seeing the forms of her husband satisfying thousands of His wives?]
Swami replied:- What all you said is correct if Radha was in the state of full ignorance covering her since birth for the sake of her future role to act as devotee. But, God Krishna explained her the entire background removing her cover of ignorance for some time for the sake of understanding the true knowledge. This point can be told in alternative way also. Even though the cover of ignorance of Radha is very strong, such cover cannot stand before the knowledge-radiation of God. By such radiation, the ignorance cover is removed from the mind of Radha and the samskaara of that knowledge remains with her even though that cover of ignorance overlaps the brain of Radha again.
The knowledge preached by God Krishna is like this “You are the embodiment or personified form of My own unimaginable power and in such state (which is the state in which Radha existed as unimaginable power or Maayaa Shakti), I, the mediated-unimaginable God exist as unmediated-unimaginable God. When I am personified as Krishna (which means that the unmediated unimaginable God got the human medium called Krishna or Vaasudeva), you are personified as Radha. As I am the mediated unimaginable God, you are also the mediated unimaginable God since the possessor of power and power are qualitatively one and the same. All the work of creation (creating inert items and non-inert souls) was, is and will be done by you only as per My will for the entertainment. Now also, the illusory Krishnas are only just the human beings and just like you created the human beings previously, you now created the illusory Krishnas also based on My will. Since the created product is by real modification (Parinaama) of yourself only, these illusory Krishnas become your biological issues only just like the previously created human beings were your biological issues. Since you forgot your original form and also forgot your original power of modification, you have become jealous with illusory Krishnas and illusory Gopikas. Gopikas are also ordinary human beings created by you. You need not worry that since both Gopikas and illusory Krishnas are your biological issues, they become brothers and sisters. The biological issue means the mother becomes pregnant on the donation of the sperm by father and delivers the child from her womb. Such process does not exist here. You modify yourself by your unimaginable power and you exist as the original unimaginable power both qualitatively and quantitatively. The souls created by you are not actual biological issues. Moreover, you did not generate souls by the donation of My sperm and hence, actually, neither I am biological father nor you are the biological mother. How can you become jealous on your own assumed issues and suffer like this? If you understand the whole background of this creation, you need not have even a trace of jealousy or worry”.
On hearing the preaching of God Krishna, Radha realised the truth because she always believed Krishna as God Datta (first energetic incarnation of unimaginable God) since God Krishna is the human incarnation of God Datta. God Krishna made her to forget all these details of the background of creation and only the essence of this as samskaara remained in her, which constantly was removing the effect of her ignorance. Never a context of this type arose between Gopika and Krishna since every Gopika was completely believing that she is with real Krishna only and never questioned about this. The jealousy and tension of Radha were also created by God Krishna so that an opportunity to reveal all this secret background is obtained.
33. Krishna gave the status of His wife to thousands of sweet devotees. Does it lower His status?
[Swami, even Radha or Rukmini can see the physical body of real Krishna and enjoy the romantic words and feelings expressed by the mind of real Krishna. You said that the God-component present in real Krishna remains invisible to them also since God is unimaginable and also that they are covered by full ignorance for the sake of their roles as devotees. Same romantic fruits (actions, words and feelings) are received by Gopikas through the unreal Krishnas also. Unlike God Shiva or God Rama, who gave the status of His wife to only one person, God Krishna has given the status of His wife to thousands of sweet devotees while on earth and continued to give that status to the successfully liberated sweet devotees in Goloka permanently. Doesn’t it lower the status of wife of God Krishna?]
Swami replied:- When God incarnates on the earth, God covers Himself with perfect ignorance for the sake of real entertainment in these worldly scenes. Only God removes this cover of ignorance from His eyes whenever there is extreme necessity. When God is under the influence of ignorance, even God may not identify the reality. When Ravana stole Sita, Rama was searching for Sita. If God Rama just makes a simple wish, He can see the entire scene of stealing of Sita by Ravana. A divine being may not like to know its real status, which does not mean that its status is false. The existence of reality is the ultimate and greater than knowing that reality. Since you don’t know the reality, it does not mean that the reality doesn’t exist. Even if you imagine a false status of yourself as reality, it does not mean that the false status is real.
Sometimes, even God does not recognize the reality of existence of a real item and the same God may fall under the illusion of existence of unreal item. Even the perception and analysis of God become false during the scene of His entertainment in this world. Lakshmana told that the golden deer does not exist at all and it is only an illusion created by demons to harm Rama and Sita. Sita did not believe Lakshmana and pressed Rama to bring the golden deer for her. Rama also believed the words of Sita and not the words of Lakshmana. All these are dramatic developments in the world drama and you shall not be under the illusion of this drama to falsely conclude that Sita and Rama are ignorant while Lakshmana is omniscient! Sita and Rama know that unless Rama goes after the golden deer, Sita cannot be stolen by Ravana that results in the death of Ravana for the welfare of the world. The reality is that Sita and Rama are omniscient and Lakshmana is ignorant. I cannot explain every step of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita in the light of sharp logical analysis because it will simply waste the valuable time since you can grasp the essence that can be applied to any step. If you keep this conclusion in your mind, there is no confusion at all. The essence is that the real status of anything does not become false status even if God misunderstands it for the sake of His entertainment. Truth is truth and false is false, which is the ultimate reality and by your imaginary reality, truth will not become false and false will not become truth.
When disciples reported that Vivekananda ate forbidden non-veg. food, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa told that Vivekananda alone can digest it like the fire burns anything by converting it into sacred ash. Vivekananda is distinguished from all other devotees and disciples because he is the incarnation of Sage Nara. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is the incarnation of Sage Narayana. Vivekananda thought that Paramahamsa told like this due to His excess love on him. Due to his ignorance, he could not realize the factual reality. Just because the reality is not known, we cannot say that reality doesn’t exist. Actually, Sage Nara is the personified male form of the power of God. In the case of Krishna also, the status of wife is only for Radha and Rukmini in the view of God. As far as other Gopikas and the 16,107 wives (Radha’s marriage was a secret and not known to public) are concerned, they are souls developed in sweet devotion with the help of the created illusory forms of Krishna.
Radha and Rukmini due to their ignorance cannot identify even the existence of unimaginable-God in the real Krishna. They are preached by the real Krishna about all the facts of the background and they never doubted the words of the real Krishna. Even their self-identification is attained by them through the preachings of Krishna only. The illusory Krishnas also say the same words uttered by the real Krishna, which act as Arthavaadas and Gopikas like Radha and Rukmini also believe their illusory Krishnas as real Krishnas and also believe their Arthavaadas (like that Gopikas are real forms of real Krishnas etc.) as real. Such Arthavaadas encourage Gopikas to reach their goal (God). After reaching Goloka also, whatever happened on the earth continues there also as it is including everything like Arthavaadas etc. This means that Gopikas attained salvation on earth (Jiivan mukti) and the same salvation is continuing in the upper world also as it is (Videha mukti). This concept is well accepted in spiritual knowledge. There is no difference between real Krishna and illusory Krishna because the components of the media in both cases are one and the same.
The unimaginable-God present in real Krishna is unimaginable to anybody and only His existence is experienced even by the medium of the unimaginable God called Krishna. Hence, nobody shall say that Gopikas are cheated compared to Radha. The truth is that whatever Krishna told to Radha is perfect truth. The same words spoken with a Gopika by an illusory Krishna on the direction of the real Krishna is Arthavaada, which pleases the Gopika like pleasing Radha. A Gopika will not distinguish herself from Radha because she is feeling an illusory Krishna as the real Krishna and whatever spoken by the illusory Krishna (real Krishna from the angle of Gopika) is real and will not doubt it as Arthavaada. The truth is that the salvation attained by the soul while alive continues as it is in the upper world also. Neither the Gopika doubted the illusory Krishna as unreal Krishna nor Radha doubted the real Krishna as unreal Krishna on the earth and this same status continues in Goloka also.
34. Are the Gopikas living in factual falsity under the pretext of Arthavaada?
[In the case of Gopikas, they are believing the lie (that they are the real forms) told by Krishna in the path (at Brundaavanam) and also in the goal (at Goloka) permanently. Gopikas are living in factual falsity under the pretext of Arthavaada. Isn’t it?]
Swami replied:- Both illusory Krishna and real Krishna are one and the same. Illusory and real words are used in the sense that illusory Krishna is the human being and is a part of illusory world. The medium of real Krishna, which is everything apart from the merged Parabrahman and this medium of real Krishna is also part of the world and can be called as illusory medium and is called as Krishna or Vaasudeva. Both illusory Krishna and real Krishna or Vaasudeva are also parts of illusory world only. This medium gets the name real Krishna because unimaginable God exists in this medium called Krishna. The differentiating factor is only unimaginable God or Parabrahman. The nature of unimaginable God is only known to Himself (Brahmavit Brahmaiva…) and even God Krishna is made of two components:- i) Unimaginable God, ii) Krishna or the medium. Here, when we say that God Krishna knows unimaginable God, it means that the unimaginable God-component of God Krishna knows the nature of unimaginable God. When we say that even God Krishna does not know the nature of unimaginable God, it means that the medium or Krishna does not know the nature of unimaginable God.
What God Krishna knows is only that the Parabrahman exists in Him in merged state [This knowledge is due to the exhibition of miracles by God Krishna, which are actually done by Parabrahman only. Thus, Krishna knows the existence of Parabrahman in Himself (Astītyeva… - Gita).]. Hence, if you compare illusory Krishna and Krishna of God Krishna (God Krishna means both Parabrahman or God-component and Krishna means the human being-component), both are exactly one and the same. Now, you can say that illusory Krishna and God Krishna are one and the same neglecting Parabrahman, which is untouched and unknown even to the human being-component of God Krishna. In this way, Gopikas are not different from Radha because Radha also does not recognize the existence of Parabrahman in her due to her very strong ignorance covering her to suit her to the role of a devotee so that she can stand as an ideal devotee for devoted Gopikas.
35. Is God telling lies under the pretext of Arthavaada?
[The Vedic statement “Satyam Jnaanam Anantam Brahma” says that God is the embodiment of truth and hence, we believe everything that is told by God as truth. You also told that God doesn’t say the truth, but whatever God says becomes the truth since the world or Prakruti follows God. But in reality, God is also telling lies under the pretext of Arthavaada. Isn’t it contradicting the Vedic statement?]
Swami replied:- Adi Shankara told every atheist that he is God. But, this is an Arthavaada (beneficial meritorious lie) to turn an atheist into theist. When He praised God Krishna in His writings, there also Shankara told that Krishna is God. Here, it is reality. God Krishna didn’t fight with Shankara that He equated God Krishna with atheists!
The Veda says the yajna or sacrifice done during the significant four months’ time of caaturmaasyam called Caaturmaasya Yajna gives eternal fruit. The same Veda says that any yajna in the path of karma gives only temporary fruit (Karmacito lokaḥ kṣīyate…) because the heaven obtained as fruit is temporary (Kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokam…). Both these are told in the same Veda. The context of caaturmaasyam is to encourage the follower of the path of karma. The second statement is to encourage the follower of the path of jnaana-bhakti. The first statement is the Arthavaada (beneficial sinless lie), whereas the second statement is the truth proving that Arthavaada is a lie.
The first statement in the Veda exists as Arthavaada as told above. The second statement proves that the first statement is a lie told to some devotees dedicated to the Vedic sacrifices for their encouragement. Both lie and truth are told in the same Veda. Similarly, both Arthavaada and its revelation are existing side by side in My spiritual knowledge also. In the context of Satyavrata, the truth becomes a lie. In the case of Dharmaraja advised by God Krishna, the lie becomes truth. That which does welfare to the devotees is truth even though it is a lie by logic. That which discourages the devotees and harms them is lie even though it is a factual truth. Telling truth and lie are lower dharma. Harming the bad and encouraging good are higher dharmas. If lower dharma contradicts higher dharma, it is a lie. If lower dharma supports the higher dharma, it is truth.
36. Can You please give some evidence that Radha possesses God-component and she is not ordinary soul?
[Swami, You told that Gopika is inherently ignorant and Radha has imposed permanent ignorance. You told that since Radha possesses God-component, she stands as an example. But from birth to death, Radha is as ignorant as a Gopika and she showed ego of beauty and jealousy on other Gopikas etc., which are ordinary human emotions. She was also corrected by God Krishna just like other Gopikas were corrected by God Krishna. She herself doesn’t know that she is the incarnation of God. If we assume that every soul contains the God-component imposed by permanent ignorance, the theory of Advaita Philosophy preached by AdiShankara becomes exactly correct in the case of every soul and this conflicts with Your interpretation that what AdiShankara told is an Arthavaada (beneficial lie) to convert an atheist to theist. To prove my assumption as wrong, please give some strong evidence that Radha possesses God-component and she is not ordinary soul.]
Swami replied:- Radha is acting in the role of a devotee and Gopikas are ordinary souls like the basic actors. Radha as an actor is God Himself and this is the very reason why Radha is being worshipped by devotees since thousands of years. Even if ignorant people like us may not identify her as an incarnation, many great scholars and sages have identified her as the incarnation of God just equal to God Krishna. They have built temples placing Radha adjacent to God Krishna giving equal importance. Chanting ‘Radhe Radhe’ is as powerful as ‘Hare Krishna’ proving the equality between Radha and Krishna. When God plays the role of a devotee, there will be some special scenes, which stand as ideal goals for other devotees and also proves the hidden inner divinity. Not letting the married husband to touch her and remarrying God Krishna in such orthodox societal conditions are some special scenes through which we can identify Radha as the incarnation of God. Jumping over the sea and tearing the heart for God Rama are some special scenes through which we can identify Hanuman as the incarnation of God. Sages as Gopikas stand as examples for the married devotees having children. Radha stands as an example for unmarried devotees not having children. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa got married, but, did not touch His wife (similar to the action of Radha) standing as example for devotees. Hanuman did not marry at all for the sake of God becoming the ultimate guide for all devotees. Even when Hanuman was forced to marry Suvarcala, the daughter of god Sun (Guru of Hanuman), He did not marry her, but, He absorbed her into His body as His tremendous glow.
To be continued...
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